Election Day is Tuesday, and Montgomery County voters face decisions in several crucial, closely watched local, state and national races.

In addition to the presidential race between front-runner Vice President Kamala Harris (D) and former President Donald Trump (R), races for U.S. Senate and House of Representatives as well as county judge and Montgomery County Board are also on the education ballot. Voters will also decide whether to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution and whether to change term limits for county executives. Information about the candidates can be found in the MoCo360 2024 Voters Guide.

Depending on your district, you may vote in the District 6 or District 8 congressional elections. You can find your district by entering your address into the Maryland General Assembly search tool.

While voters could cast their ballot at any early voting center, they must vote in their assigned precinct on Election Day. You can find out where you should vote on the State Election Commission website. Polling stations are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m

If you missed the October 15 early voter registration deadline, you can register in person at your polling place on Tuesday. You must have a document proving where you live, e.g. Such as a Maryland driver's license, ID card, change of address card or paycheck, bank statement, utility bill, or other government document with your name and address on it. You can vote immediately after registering.

However, you may be asked to submit a provisional ballot so that your identity can be verified. If you are already registered to vote, you will not be able to change your party affiliation when registering on the same day.

Returning mail-in ballots

Over 40% of voters in Montgomery County have already cast their ballots, whether through in-person voting or absentee voting. But according to the Montgomery County Board of Elections, the board has not received about 70,000 ballots that were mailed to registered voters.

County Board of Elections President David Naimon noted in a news release Sunday that voters have three options for returning a mail-in ballot: They can drop it off at one of the 58 official ballot drop boxes throughout the county, mail it, or take it to any county office bring 232 polling stations.

Naimon said the “harder way” to vote is to not fill out a mail-in ballot and instead show up in person.

“If a voter who requested an absentee ballot chooses to vote in person on Election Day, the voter will be required to cast a provisional ballot, which will require completing additional paperwork, possibly waiting in an additional line, and spending more time voting. “Place,” he said.

According to the county election board, provisional ballots will be counted after Election Day after election officials confirm that the voter is eligible to vote and has not already voted.

Election officials can accept mail-in ballots as long as they are postmarked by 8 p.m. Tuesday. Voters can view the status of their postal vote here.

A list of Dropbox sites can be found on the Board of Elections website. Alternatively, you can find the closest one to your location by texting BOX and your postcode (example: BOX 20879) to 77788.

Free bus rides; Circle closures

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation is offering free bus rides on all county buses on Election Day. Residents who need a ride to the polls are asked to use the Ride On Trip Planner app to find the best route to their voting precinct and bus schedules.

All Montgomery County public schools and offices will remain closed for the election. Some county recreation facilities that will serve as polling places on Tuesday will be affected by the election but will not be closed. According to the county's Parks and Recreation Department, access to some on-site amenities, including parking, may be impacted.

Affected websites include:

• Clara Barton Neighborhood Recreation Center;
• Damascus Senior Center;
• Gwendolyn E. Coffield Community Recreation Center;
• East County Community Recreation Center;
• Longwood Community Recreation Center;
• Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center;
• Marilyn J. Praisner Community Recreation Center;
• Mid-County Community Recreation Center;
• Nancy H. Dacek North Potomac Community Recreation Center;
• Potomac Community Recreation Center;
• Ross Boddy Neighborhood Recreation Center; And
• White Oak Community Recreation Center.

Visitors wishing to use the recreational facilities are encouraged to call prior to their visit, contact customer service at 240-777-6840 or visit the website www.mocorec.com to stay informed about the services and facilities available.

Related stories